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Seven Days in May | Year: 1964 Classification: Drama Directed: - John Frankenheimer Actors/Actresses: - Leonard Nimoy - Burt Lancaster - Kirk Douglas An All Too Real Thriller There were a number of excellent political thrillers in the Sixties, and Seven Days in May is one of the best. Fredric March stars as the President who is trying to push through a nuclear disarmament treaty, but he is meeting a lot of resistance. Chief among them is General Burt Lancaster, who has decided to take over the government to continue building America's military. Lancaster has developed an elaborate plan for his takeover, but his assistant, Kirk Douglas, has been left out. When Douglas begins to suspect something, the tension starts to rise. The plot sounds incredible, yet as written by the great Rod Serling and directed by John Frankenheimer, it is only too believable. The performances are all top notch by the stars, while Ava Gardner as Lancaster's former mistress and Edmond O'Brien as an alcoholic senator supporting the treaty shine in supporting roles. This is a smart movie that will take you back to a time not long ago when the Cold War had paralyzed the world. This is the kind of intelligent, tense thriller I wish we could see more of these days. Fabulous Political Thriller John Frankenheimer's masterpiece is probably one of the best political thrillers of all time. Burt Lancaster is superb in the role of General James Matoon Scott, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, and chief conspirator of a plot to overthrow the United States government after a weak-kneed President, played wonderfully by Frederic March, signs a disarmament treaty with the Russians. Helping foil the plot is General Scott's aide, Colonel Jiggs Casey, played by Kirk Douglas. Intrigue, deception, and treachery are played out against a backdrop of Washington offices and political seats of power. Edmund O'Brien, Martin Balsam, and Ava Gardner all add significant performances in the film. I was also very impressed with the way the military was portrayed with regard to uniforms and behavior--especially Lancaster's character. Very realistic indeed. Rumor has it that Frankenheimer wanted to shoot some scenes in the actual Pentagon but was turned down (probably because of the heretical subject of the movie). The tense story starts a bit slowly, but the tension builds as more the plot is revealed. The ending is very credible. I really like movies where Lancaster and Douglas are paired, and this is my favorite of them. Mayday Funny how both conservatives and liberals can cook up their own paranoid fantasies from the same sets of facts. This Kennedy-era melodrama hearkens back to both the October 1962 missile crisis and the Nuclear Test Ban treaty of JFK's administration. When some people on the Right claimed the country was being handed over to the Soviets, two liberal Washington reporters cranked out the novel "Seven Days in May" about a military coup to topple the government. The movie is a faithful re-creation of the book and it's plain ridiculous. Burt Lancaster plays an updated Air Force version of Douglas MacArthur whose nefarious scheme is foiled by a smug band of patriots led by Kirk Douglas. Frederic March's President is so un-appealing you wish somebody would overthrow him, and poor Ava Gardner, 15 years on from being the most beautiful girl in Hollywood, looks like death warmed over. Rod Serling's script is riddled with a pomposity he usually edited out of his "Twilight Zone" work. Buy Seven Days In May at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Seven Days In May Search with the Priority Search Engine on Seven Days In May This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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